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I need so much help with what to plan outside. I do not have a green thumb when it comes to outside plants.?

Anyway, I need some help in figuring out which shrubs I should plant to border my lower deck. the shrubs will be in a rock garden. I need a shrub that grows quickly and is hardy. Also, something that isn't toxic to my dog. Please help!

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1. You are gonna love gardening, don't try to do it all in one year. Get to know where the sun shines the most, and where the shaded areas are. Because you will need flowers for the sun areas, and flowers for the shaded areas. Since you are a beginner, this year start your garden with plants that you get from a garden center or nursery. They are called bedding plants and come in a six pack. Look for a little tag sticking in the six pact showing directions on how to grow the plants. If the tag is not there, ask for one or buy something else. Directions are VERY important. Seeds are not always easy to grow. And wildflowers are the hardest so don't be disappointed if they don't show up. Two good things to do for yourself is to call your local County Extension Service and ask for all the information that they have about gardening in your area. They usually have a packet/kit of things for the home gardener. And number two would be to pick up a couple of beginner books. You really do need to know about soil, compost, mulch and etc. To keep from over watering or not watering enough, buy a water analyzer from a nursery or garden center. Be sure to read the directions. This will be one of your best tools. Send for some free gardening catalogs and get use to the different types of plants, colors, and when to plant. They are filled with good informtion and pictures. And they will keep you company during the long winter months. Here is a list of just a very few. There are hundreds more: http://www.waysidegardens.com http://www.dutchbulbs.com http://www.jacksonandperkins.com (Roses) http://www.parkseed.com http://www.burpee.com Other catalogs: http://www.leevalley.com http://www.gardeners.com http://www.GardensAlive.com http://www.deerbusters.com (all types of animal control) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Container/pots/window boxes needs: All need holes in the bottem for water drainage, Potting soil that comes in bags, Slow release fertilizer for flowers (not for green plants), OR liquid fertilizer that will need to be used more often-read directions, Water crystals to be mixed into the soil for holding water, Bedding plants or full grown plants. Here is an excellent link to check out for color combinations and plants that look good together: http://www.fernlea.com/awesomeaccents/recipes.html
2. Its kind of hard to answer with an exact plant. You didn't say which zone you are in. Nor did you say if this was a sunny or shady area. It's really important to know these things first or you could just be throwing your money away. How much space are you working with. Make sure whatever you plant is not too large for the area. And on the converse make sure it will not look empty because it was not big enough. Most any plant if an animal or person eats enough of it can make them sick. This is what I would do before I went any farther. -Go out and measure the area -check the amount of sun at different times during the day -find out your temperature zone -check the drainage of this area -test the soil for pH and nutrients -make amendments directly to the planting holes since this is already a rock garden -decide what type of plants and colors you like by going to garden centers and looking on line Then draw up the area and decide how many plants will be needed and what types you are going to use. Then find the exact varieties you want either locally or on line. Searching on line you are more likely to find a better selection and exactly what you want. Gardening is a process so don't get discouraged if you don't get it all done in a day or even a few. Most of us have continuing projects.
3. Capability Brown, the 18th century English landscaper who transformed the idea of landscape garden had some very good advice: Figure out what you can grow, and then grow lots of it <g> (paraphrased) Things you'll want to know before we can really help you: 1) Where are you? (shrubs for Minnesota are not the same as shrubs for Miami!) 2) What's the soil type? Rocky, sandy, clay, good black dirt? 3) How many hours of sun a day hit the area you want to plant? If the area is always shady, 4) Will you be able to water at least during the first couple of years, and during droughts, or will they have to rely only on rain? (The typical rock garden plants are drought-adapted, and may die if they get too much water from your shrub watering). 5) How big do you want the shrubs to get? It's a lot easier to choose plants that grow only to a certain size than it is to deal with ones that need continual pruning) 6) Do you want evergreen or deciduous shrubs? (in snowy areas, it's a lot easier to shovel a deck if you don't have to worry about too much snow hitting the evergreens!) 7) Do you want all one thing, or a mixture? (A line of the same species with one that's growing more slowly or more quickly looks bad -- and even worse if one dies. A mixture of things that are of different shapes and sizes can still look great if you have to replace something. My very best suggestion is to take pictures of the area, draw a diagram with measurements (how wide a planting area do you have, how tall you want things to get), think about the "look" you want, the growing conditions, and take your photos and a soil sample to some of the best nurseries in your area. Then discuss your wants and need with a pro (not just a sales clerk). Go home and research the suggestions given, and then choose.